The teachers hired by former governor Adegboyega Oyetola's administration have urged Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to investigate their situation and pay their salaries.
Four of their colleagues have passed away from depression, according to the teachers who maintained that their recruitment followed due process.
Additionally, they pleaded with the government to lift the recruitment ban and prevent further member exodus.
By executive order, the Oyetola administration's recruitment campaign was halted when the Ademola Adeleke administration took office.
Owoyemi Abdulwasiu explained, speaking on behalf of the teachers at a press conference on Monday in Osogbo, that the teachers were hired after purchasing forms in 2020 and taking Computer-Based Tests, or CBT, in February 2021.
Owoyemi explained that after meeting the cut-off scores, they were invited to oral interviews and microteaching.
“It will be unfair to say that the teachers were just given employment based on politics.
“It will be of great concern to know that the effect of nullifying our appointments as class teachers had already been felt as we have recorded no fewer than four deaths among us as a result of depression of nullifying the appointment as class teachers, ” he said.
Owoyemi who stressed that they have all lost their previous jobs in private establishments debunked the rumour that the teachers are members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, explaining that they went through due process which included purchase of form and writing screening examination.
Reacting, the Osun State Government through Tunde Busari, Special Assistant, Community Communications, maintained that the workers remained disengaged.
While referring to the teachers as “illegally employed” he accused them of being a tool of blackmail in the hands of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
He added that their reality cannot be changed.
His words: “Those APC members are now playing the script. They have failed from the beginning as this administration will not bow to unjustified demands from those who collaborated to deepen Osun’s financial woes.”
Busari also accused the Oyetola administration of deliberately padding the state payroll with APC members to create deeper financial crisis, conflict and disharmony.
He said: “By virtue of the executive order issued by Mr Governor, those illegally employed remain sacked and are no longer staff of the state government. No amount of demonstration and blackmail can change that reality.
“We have the details of a plan by APC to deploy its disengaged members for demonstration. However, the people of Osun State are in the know of the whole situation especially the several warnings by the PDP while in opposition. We warned against colluding with Mr Oyetola during those last days when the former governor was issuing employment letter despite the state’s inability to pay staff salaries.”
